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Joe Willock will not forget his first senior start at Emirates Stadium in a hurry.

Paired with Aaron Ramsey in central midfield, the 17-year-old was given a warm ovation from our home fans and, even though not everything may not have gone his way, Arsène Wenger was still encouraged by the teenager’s performance.

“We have not seen the best of Joe Willock today because he had a heavy preparation physically and he paid a little bit for it,” the manager told Arsenal Player.

“On top of that, we didn’t have a lot of the ball so he couldn’t show what he can do going forward, but he had a very promising preparation and it’s good for him to have a start at home in front of our fans. I’m sure he’ll have a great future.

“He needs to play regularly for the under-23s and gain a little bit more physical power. He’s only 17 and that’s very young, but he has a good football brain and analyses very well.

“I hope that he will come into the team very quickly to challenge the established players who are playing at the moment.”

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